Where to Begin?!

Hi! This is Kimberly here. Our goal is to have humans and dogs thrive in each other's company.There is really just one basic principle that drives training {for dogs, kids and even ourselves...}:

Behavior that is reinforced will continue. Behavior that is not reinforced will become extinct.If a behavior is continuing then it is being reinforced somehow,and if a behavior is not occurring, then it is not being reinforced.

There are a few semantic terms that are commonly used in behavior modification training. A reward is anything that increases a behavior. If petting your dog makes him sit more often then petting is a reward for teaching the dog to sit. Punishment is anything that makes a behavior stop. If petting makes your dog jump up and down, then for the purpose of teaching 'sit', petting is a punishment. Clear as mud?

So a reward or a punishment is determined by the student not the teacher. Sending the child who loves his room to his room, would be a reward for that child while it might be a punishment for a child who prefers to stay in the company of his family.

One other training note: Behavior that is fear based is not as reliable or consistent as behavior that is reward based--especially if the rewards occur on a random schedule. For example: A dog may learn not to pee in the presence of the newspaper-holding-owner, but instead will learn to avoid the rolled-up-paper-swat by peeing behind the couch. A dog that is rewarded for peeing outside will look for opportunities to get outside to pee.

Of course, behavior training is not always as simple as rewards and consequences. Dogs need good strong leadership and consistency to maintain human-compatible behavior and people are a thousand times more complex than dogs, but understanding the basics goes a long way toward happiness for everyone.

Establishing a good behavior pattern in the first five months of a puppy's life is time consuming, but once the behaviors are established then living together becomes a joy.